Artist: Helena Gullström
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Website: Helena Gullström

Helena Gullstrom was born and raised in Sunne, Sweden, a small town in the western part of the country. She currently resides in Los Angeles. With painting and drawing being an important part of her life, she began serious study with Franklin Liegel at the Otis Parsons School of Art Design in Los Angeles.

My work is an extension of myself, hopefully ever expanding and evolving. I allow myself using a large array of materials, including concrete, oil, acrylic, wood, metal etc.

This enables me to always feel like as if I’m discovering something, which is a huge part of the joy in my art making. I love challenges and to see if I will be able to make something from, at least for me, a new material.

I draw my inspiration from everyday situations, conversations, nature and my affinity for textures. I get an idea for a piece and then I try to find a way of how to best execute it.

Few things are better in life than walking down the aisles of possibilities at a hardware store, full of inspiration, trying to find the right tools and materials..

Right now, I’m working on a series of sculptures and paintings made out of concrete and mixed media. I always loved concrete as a material and I’m finding that it’s a very versatile material with so many possibilities.

I find that even more than formal training, having the curiosity to explore, having passion for what you do will really make you an artist.

I see myself as the never ending student, learning new things every day and although frustrating, I learn the most from my “mistakes”.

I simply put my subconscious to work. I try to stay as real and open-minded as possible to new ideas by using surprising materials and color combinations, to allow my art and myself to evolve.

Artist: John Lewis Jensen
Website: Jensen Knives

Knives are my primary form of expression and exploration, and therefore encompass most of my day-to-day artistic creation. Like most artists, one form or aspect of creation does not define the totality of who I am. However, knives as art, offer me a focal point for many of my varied interest.
The knife is an art form unlike any other, both rich in form and function. It is aesthetic, and quite obvious in its direct use. This poses an interesting challenge; to create art out of an object that is so defined by its form and associations is an interesting and complex task. My work is about the exercise of pushing boundaries within a certain set parameter.

In these modern times “Art” is defined as a platform for ideas. The knife is where I exercise and expresses my thoughts on art, culture, sociology, archeology, anthropology, and metaphor. I am drawn to the knife because it challenges me on many creative levels. The knife is also loaded with history, symbology, and allegory. For me, the knife is a great platform for art. One of the many objectives of art is to challenge people’s views. From a psychological standpoint, knives evoke strong emotions. Personally, the art-knife represents the ideology of dualism; the art-knife holds beauty and violence at the same time; two concepts at opposite ends of the spectrum are being represented in one object. Personally, I feel that the spiritual goal of humanity is to find balance within all aspects of life. For me this constitutes enlightenment. One-way to achieve this balance is to take opposing ideas and bring them into a place of union. The knife is a form in which I can physically express this philosophy, and explore the polarity of ideas that it represents. I am intrigued by the implications of being attracted, yet repelled by the same object. With this approach, I hope that my work may open doors into unfamiliar territory, revealing that the dichotomy of life can be viewed through an inanimate object.

My work is hard to categorize, and that also adds to the appeal. With my knives I am straddling two sides of the fence. I see Art, but some people only want to see knife. Many people can only see “weapon”. I think of my work as hand-held jewelry or sculpture. I’m dealing with form, material, ornamentation, and by default of the object: idea. Overall, I am hoping to change the knife’s overall perception.
I have found that all of the aforementioned aspects contribute to my interest in knife making as an artistic expression beyond that of just the physical process, which I also cherish. The pursuit of the art-knife is exciting because it is like forging into uncharted territory. The unlimited potential of this little explored form gives me complete freedom in terms of ideas, materials and design.

I also feel obligated to carry on, and help keep alive the age-old, time-honored techniques of craftsmanship. Perhaps I can also help encourage people to slow down and re-embrace aspects of a non-instant gratification world. I am interested in educating, dialog and sharing with the public in many ways: from the philosophies I hold, to the technical craftsmanship I have mastered.

Marilyn, 2008, 62″ x 76″ patchwork, applique, beads and sequins

Artist: Andrea L. Stern
Business name: The Embellishment Cafe

Website & Blog:
Embellishment Cafe
Andi Beads blog

How do you describe your work, Andi?
I work in a multitude of media but the main focus is always fiber. Each piece is made of discrete parts, whether it is an embroidery (individual stitches), quilt (individual patches) or beadwork (individual beads). I think I’ve always liked mosaics, the look of millions of tiny parts making a whole image. The Embellishment Cafe was named because at the time (1998) there were lots of “internet cafes” starting, and I liked the idea of a cafe with beads and parts. The focus at the time was on beads for embellishing, but has morphed over the years to where the main focus is on completed work with a side of beads.

What is your creative process like?
Cleaning the studio leads to some works, as with my beaded baby dress Back to School where finding a yellow and black striped button while cleaning led to a whole dialogue of yellows like first day of school pencils, etc. Usually it is that I want to do a specific process, like feel a needle moving through fabric, or making specific hand motions (weaving beads or knitting). I am constantly working, except when I am not. There is no real routine yet. I would like there to be, it is one of my intentions for 2009. I also work to the current situation: when my children were small I had to make smaller works, or chose to make smaller works, I suppose, because then I could see progress more quickly. Now that two of them are grown and the other two are housebroken and fairly self-sufficient in terms of most things I am making larger work again. It also helps that they can work on their own work in the studio while I am working on mine, the need to facilitate their creativity has dropped off with time as their skills have grown.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I grew up with artists and women who made crafts, and I have a BFA in Art History. I am primarily self-taught with the beads and knitting/crochet, though I took a workshop with Joyce Scott in 1997 that helped me become more bold with my beads and a Turtle Art Camp with Susan Shie that helped me be more bold with the quilting. Lots of that old writer’s question “What if”.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
Pen and paper if I could have nothing else.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
That old show Grace Under Fire, the main character was trying to paint and she talked to her friend Wade. He told her the story of a zen master who was sitting meditation when a fly landed on his nose. No matter how much the master swatted, the fly did not budge. He said “Be the fly.” When life gets crazy, I remind myself to “Be the fly.”

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
You learn from everything. If you are wanting to get better with a specific skill, like knitting or making a plush animal, it is ok to learn by using someone else’s pattern first (not for sale or show, just for your own skill building). Be persistent. Don’t give up.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
My kids.

What’s your favorite comfort food?
Homemade banana pudding with Nilla Wafers and Cool Whip.

Rainbow

Artist: Shinji Turner-Yamamoto
Location: Washington DC

Website: Raandesk Gallery of Art

Irish Black Rainbow

What is your creative process like?
I collaborate with nature to create subtle minimalist works made with pure materials that evoke the natural world. Working on the wild coast of southwest Ireland, I created “rain drawings” en plein air, shown spring 2008 in a solo show at Shigeko Bork Mu Project. Shafts of light and ephemeral rainbows– elements of the Irish winter landscape– inspired me to concentrate on light and its natural permutations as the principal subject of these works. Ash and soot from the turf burned in my fireplace, and found crystals, found sheep’s wool, Indian yellow, gambouge, tree resin, silver, slate powders presented the ideal materials coupled with the intervention of rain, to express these natural manifestations and my emotional reactions to specific events in the landscape.

My recent installation at the Greater Reston Arts Center brought my global TREE PROJECT to the greater Washington area. Through these site-specific installations mounted in India, Ireland, Japan, I work with identifiable imagery to encourage audiences to encounter aspects of nature in a new way. I am currently working with the US National Arboretum to create a series of installations in 2010 on the institution’s grounds and with Mary Baskett Gallery in Cincinnati to realize a large-scale installation project for the abandoned 19th century Holy Cross Church for fall 2009.

Constellation (triptych)

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
Working with Buon Fresco technique at the Kyoto City University of Art and later in Italy was very important for developing my creative process. When you work with fresh plaster, you have only 8 hours to complete your work—it’s an opportunity to participate in nature’s process of mineralization. The wall dries in a certain way, with the same color turning to different tones depending on when you apply it to the wall. When the wall stops absorbing pigments, you know that your time is over. The plaster has already moved to the next phase to becoming part of the limestone.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
Gold.

I used to collect minerals and fossils at abandoned mines and mountains or rivers. One day I went to find river gold. I was dubious, how’ would it be possible to distinguish gold from all other millions of mineral fragments in the river sand… But the gold was so different from all other minerals and it stood out. It was like pure light; when you see it you know that it is gold. It was like finding a small star in the river.

What inspires you to create?
I find my inspiration in the course of everyday encounters with nature. In 2005, for example, I saw a large uprooted oak in a park. It lay as if sleeping on a gently sloping grass-covered hill. When I returned a few days later, the tree had disappeared. In place of its roots remained a scar, a mound of raw earth. I envisioned a new tree growing on this mound. It was a start of a new series, Sleeping Tree, and my realization about its strong connections with other works I had been creating around an imagery of tree. I defined these works as Global Tree Project.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
Creating works is like breathing to me. It never gets tough to create new works. Rather, I have to worry about what kind of works I should not be creating, and staying true to my focus.

Moonbow

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
The time we pass in our studios is very important. I feel the total amount of time we dedicate to our work counts a lot.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
Reading, writing, traveling, walking in the woods. And cooking, a lot of my creative energy goes into experimentation with new foods.

What’s your favorite comfort food?
Rice, in every permutation.

Shinji Turner-Yamamoto

Artist: Glenna Treasure
Websites:
Artistika
Artistika Gallery

My work is an unusual art form using colour, texture and print scale in fabric to capture a look or effect.

My creative process usually starts with a local scene or a photo. Or I could just be driving in the car, or having a sleepless night when I get an notion. Then I set out to fine the appropriate fabric in my ever growing stash. This process takes some time. I could try a number of textiles before I am satisfied with the results.

Once I am in the middle of a project sometimes I have to take a break. I can spot and solve a problem area after stepping back and working with fresh eyes.

I am pretty much self taught. I started as a traditional quilter, then while on a trip to Newfoundland I came upon a local artist that blew me away (Karen Colbourn Martin). I contacted her and she agree to teach me some techniques. I have developed my own style and techniques over time. It wasn’t long after that I sold my first piece and as they the rest is history.

The tool I can’t imagine living without would have to be the fabric itself. The thrill of collecting fabric for current projects or future possibilities is addictive. I know I have textiles I might never use but who cares at the time I just had to have it.

There is always another idea that challenges my creative abilities. I will never stop finding new possibilities. I am lucky enough to have never found my art frustrating. I loose myself completely in my work. Life is frustrating not my art!

My advice to fellow artists would be to find your niche and learn everything you can with the re courses available to you and apply them to your work.

When I am not working in my studio it is generally because I am busy running a seasonal garden centre with my husband. That is why most of my work is done during the winter months.

My favourite comfort food is definitely chocolate. I can hardly go a day without it. I don’t have a favourite colour I love them all but I do prefer warm colours. Any female baby boomer whose mother had an unconditional commitment to the family and has a sense of humour would get a laugh of the pictorial book My Mother As a Coffee Table. I love to travel and see what the world is all about.

Jennifer Murray

Artist: Jennifer Murray
Location: East Harlem, New York

Website: Raandesk Gallery

The Stage

Jennifer, how do you describe your work?
Intense, tragic, narrative, and playful.

What is your creative process like?
I really am not someone who can work for long periods of time. I like to work for a few hours and then let the piece kind of “marinate” in my home, where I can casually interact with it and decide how I want to go forward. For me this takes the place of careful planning and testing in the sketchbook. I am a terrible sketchbook keeper. Instead, I try to think of an idea, usually by doing something very active and solitary, like running or taking a long walk. Once I get an idea in my head, I just go with it, but that doesn’t mean it’s always a good one. For that reason I like to move in small spurts, so I can catch myself if it’s really not going very well.

Caution - Cliff

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I used to study many different kinds of ancient art styles. I poured over books of Renaissance masters and Medieval painters. In particular, the sparseness and empty backgrounds of Ancient Egyptian art directly influenced me. I also was very moved by the narrative quality of Egyptian art- the way each panel tells the next part of the story. You can see much of that quality in my diptychs and triptychs.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
I really can’t be without my charcoal pencils. I always thought of myself as a painter, and I still love paintings, but there is something so immediate and gratifying about drawing, in particular charcoal, which you can really smear around and get worked into. Painting lost its allure for me when I realized how terribly toxic it is. Up until that point I was smearing my paint around with my fingers. Now I do that with my charcoal, and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I also harbor a slight twinge of revulsion at how industrial many artworks are these days. We have artists who can afford to spend incredible amounts to produce enormous pieces out of very expensive industrial materials, to create their pieces out of machines. So for me the charcoal is kind of a rebellion from that, and I like the idea of this primal medium still being in use.

Cougars 5

What inspires you to create?
I definitely make work about myself, though it’s not my intention that that be obvious to the viewer. Every stage of my professional art making has been in response to a personal saga. I actually consider the point at which I started making “my” art the point where I really became a professional, because it became about my mental state and feelings. They became part of the process. Before that point I was always trying to make art that expressed how someone else was feeling, some quality in someone else that I wanted to capture. But I think in the end you can’t make good work unless it is about you, and your feelings and experience. Even if it’s about your reaction to someone else’s experience, it still has to be your reaction. And I think people are not altogether very different. We can understand these universal feelings that unite us.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
The most difficult transition for me into professional artistry has been accepting that there will be fast and slow creative times. In school, obviously, there were deadlines and classes and things had to be finished on a schedule, but when I left school I had to accept that the schedule was just going to be a little less rigid than before. This ties partially into the idea of making art from your own personal reflection, which can’t be dictated or scheduled. I definitely have very slow periods, and it’s hard, but I have found that the best thing to do is enjoy your time and do something pleasurable, and that will make you happy and in turn inspire you. The worst thing I ever did was force myself to stay home all day and try to get inspired. The minute I go outside things seem better.

White Drawing 3

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
I don’t have any professional advice, really, but my experience in art school was the most valuable thing I have ever done. The feedback and the support were incredible, and it’s extremely challenging to boot. I’m sure it will take me 30 years to work through all the ideas and advice I received. But you don’t need school for that- you can get it though a club, a group, whatever. You need something or someone to challenge your ideas, because most often your friends won’t tell you if they think your work is weak, and you won’t see it. You’ll only get there with people of like minds.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
I am a very active person, and I spend a lot of time walking around the city, listening to podcasts. Honestly I think I listen to probably 2.5 hours of podcasts per day. The podcasts are mostly about world events, politics, and struggles. They help me get a perspective on life.

Swimming is the most calming thing I do. It clears my mind and helps me focus. You can’t hear anyone, and when you get out, your feel so clean and ready for anything. It really forces you to reflect.

Carla E Reyes 

Artist: Carla E. Reyes
Business name: carlacrafts art+interiors
Location: Kew Gardens, Queens, NY

Website: Raandesk Gallery

How do you describe your work, Carla?
The art I make can be described as multi-media painting, textural abstraction, collage, sculptural painting, low relief collage paintings, modern primitive art, nature art…

Microbe Series

carlacrafts is my freelance decorative interior business. I design custom surfaces for interiors as well as decorative art objects. I find that crafts and fine art can inform and inspire one another and I like to work decoratively as well as creatively. I don’t see “crafts” as a lower art form.

What is your creative process like?
I can go from hours of obsessive compulsive ritualistic collage work, like layering hundreds of individual toothpicks in a particular configuration; to spontaneously throwing random elements onto the canvas and literally seeing what sticks! I tend to work on the floor with an old paint stained yoga mat for my knees, surrounded by small piles of collage elements and jars of paints and glazes. Literally being knee deep in the art making process instead of at a distance as with easel painting, feels very primal and satisfying in a visceral way, like a child finger painting. At home I have a studio space where multiple canvases are in progress, ready and waiting to be worked on when the mood moves me. At my boyfriend’s place I work in a corner of the living room floor while he geeks out on his computer. We take breaks to visit our corners and check out what the other is up to.

I often do some of my “busy work” (surface prep and mindless layers of texture) on a fold out table in front of the tv. I am always working on various pieces and series simultaneously over a period of time as I feel compelled, to keep them fresh and interesting. I also do spontaneous collages in between more labor intensive or involved works to keep the liveliness and fun of making art going, and to avoid overworking any one piece. There is also a lot of drying time involved in the layering process. I like having a home studio because I am also busy with my work in decorative interiors and other activities, so I am more productive with my art when I can just impulsively grab a brush and do some work on a piece, even between laundry loads!

Sacrificial Bride, in progress

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I began my art training early. I started at ten years old at a traditional oil painting school on weekends. Later I was accepted to a specialized art high school, The Long Island School of the Arts (formerly BOCES Cultural Arts Center), in Syosset, Long Island, NY. It is sort of the suburbs’ answer to LaGuardia School of the Arts; the “Fame” school in NYC. It was a program that trained kids who wanted to be serious artists and we worked from live art models and worked in all mediums.

For college, I went to the School of Visual Arts, NYC, on a partial scholarship for one year, but dropped out in my second year realizing I wasn’t into the whole starving artist thing and thinking I may need a “real” job. For a few years I would go from working full time in a retail or office job, to getting fed up and taking random waitress or part time jobs while trying to paint and get shows. This was exhausting and fruitless.

I eventually got into scenic painting for the theater which was really what inspired the art I make today. Not only was it awesome to work in a studio environment getting covered in paint every day and collaborate with other artists and creative technicians, but the artistic techniques and unconventional materials I was exposed to, really opened me up to new ways of creating. We would have to create organic and manmade surfaces and objects for the stage using textural materials and household items, and just had to be really resourceful as many of the theaters had limited budgets. You had to problem solve and experiment with different materials which I found challenging and creatively stimulating.

Unfortunately, these small theaters and non-union shops didn’t pay well, or were short assignments with no work in between, and I wanted a more stable income. I went back to school at F.I.T., NYC, and got my BFA in Restoration and Fine Arts. The Restoration program, which unfortunately is no longer offered, provided me with so much hands-on exposure to materials from wood, to metal to ceramics, as well as art and decorative art history and connoisseurship. We also had a heavy emphasis on chemistry in order to understand why the materials do what they do.

My artwork became multi dimensional and textural and began to incorporate an unlimited menu of materials and textural collage elements. The work I do today designing surfaces for interior designers and architects in plaster, cement and paints/glazes continues to influence and expand my palette and ways of creating.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
I would be lost without Elmer’s glue, cheap chip brushes, acrylic paint, and sand for texture. A good sea sponge and terry cloth rags are nice to have around too! I’ve also grown to cherish my stainless steel trapezoidal trowel.

Becoming

What inspires you to create?  
I truly see my need to create as an involuntary compulsion I’ve had from childhood that can only be satisfied by the physical experience and meditative quality of art making. I enjoy many activities, but so few come close to the satisfaction of taking an idea and bringing it to life in a tangible form with your own hands, and the process of doing it. There are so many inspirations for art on a daily basis it can be maddening. I keep an idea binder that I draw from and I doubt I will ever execute all these projects before I die, especially if I keep adding to it! I will never suffer from “artist’s block.” I can be inspired by a crusty oxidized metal surface in the subway, a primitive art exhibit, an interesting interior design, a textile, another artist’s work, and of course nature!

I have various series that I have been working on over the past 10 years, and their unifying elements are the textural surface qualities, earthy palettes, and unconventional collage materials. The subject matter ranges from primitivism, to microbiology, to nature, to archeology, to spirituality, to chemistry - all connected through the visual exploration of questions and curiosities we all have as human beings.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
Since I work on multiple pieces at a time- this problem is minimal. If I am frustrated I walk away and work on something else or just give myself a break for a few days. I will eventually miss the piece and want to go back with renewed excitement. I don’t leave anything unfinished or destroy any work anymore. I always go back at some point and resolve it - even if the result is not up to my expectations. I work in series a lot, so I am hopeful that the next one will be better if I learn and work through the problems.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?  
Everyone has different motivations and goals, so my advice and opinion may not be relevant to every creative person. For me over the past few years that I have been creating consistently and contentedly, I have just stayed true to my vision and followed through with each idea. I am very dedicated to my work and try not to think about whether people are going to like it or buy it (although obviously that is ideal!) or whether it fits into a current art trend or genre.

I think art making is about vision, discipline, hard work and perseverance, as well as talent. I also think that getting out in the world and exposing yourself to other things- not just art- really enriches your work and point of view. I think a lot of artists either have a martyr complex or sense of entitlement, and I just have no patience for that. If you want to succeed- you have to make work you believe in and get out there and show it. If you want to live on your art you have to market yourself- even if you are lucky enough to have a gallery as I do, being represented by Raandesk Gallery of Art, based in NYC and on the web. Don’t make excuses. Every time I get a rejection letter from a museum show or grant program I just file it away and get back to my painting and keep going.

Cultivating relationships is really important – not just with art world people. When people like you as a person, they open up to your work and become interested. The ability and willingness to communicate about your work is also crucial. A lot of artists are resistant to talking or writing about their work, but it also helps in the creative process and with your confidence to really understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. Personally I find that having a day job (especially one you like!) takes the pressure off and allows me to work on my art purely for its’ own sake. Lot of artists don’t share this view and feel that a day job drains their creative energy and cuts into their art making time. I think I am part of a small group of artists who can and like to do both.

Urban Impressionism NYC, 3

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
Where do I start? At the moment I work 40+ hours a week running The Studio @DFB, a decorative finishing studio for an interior products company in Long Island City, Queens, NY. I design custom wall surfaces there for interior designers. I also get referrals to do decorative finishing work in private homes on my down time. I am currently enrolled in two professional certificate programs: Color Specialist at F.I.T., NYC, and Interior Decorating and Design at CUNY Queensborough, Bayside, NY. I exercise throughout the week- yoga or bike riding, or just long scenic walks. I like to read art + design magazines as well as fiction. I take ceramic workshops when I can, and just got my own small pottery wheel! This past year I designed and collaborated on a community mural in my neighborhood. Obviously, I like to check out museum shows and go to openings, as well as design events and talks. And of course, most of all I enjoy relaxing and going out with my long time boyfriend, as well as my close friends and family.

What are some of your other favorite things?
I really enjoy exploring the city (NYC) as much as possible. I often take unnecessarily long walks and discover things I’ve never seen despite living here my whole life. There is always something to do and see. I love dining out and ordering in (my oven can double as storage for my rarely used pots and pans!) and trying new restaurants with my boyfriend on the weekend, and girlfriends after work during the week. In the spring, summer, and fall, NYC is a great place to sit in plazas and parks and just relax and take in the energy. I am grateful to live in a city that serves as a constant source of visual stimulation and inspiration for art and life!

 
The Secret Garden

Artist: Melinda Asztalos
Websites:
Artistika Gallery
Artistika

Melinda, how do you describe your work?
My work is best described as Multi Media. An integration of text and image is always present behind the thought process of each piece. Texture is also an important part of my paintings as it ads layers of richness as well as visual interest. Layering through the process of collage is encorporated into each piece. The essence of each piece is rooted in the desire to evoke a positive and uplifting feeling.

Orchid 2

What is your creative process like? 
My creative process is similar to the process I utilize with graphic design.  Everything begins with the desire to express an idea and how to translate that into a positive, balanced and harmonious visual work of art.  I choose the size, think of the key elements and decide on a clearly definable element (with exception to abstract work) that will be the focal point. I break down the space of the canvas into graphic elements and decide on the composition. These decisions are a base point that ground the thinking behind the piece, they are not rigid and fixed. Everything during painting and planning is open to inspiration and ideas shift and develop throughout the process which allows freedom for innovation.

Certain materials (such as japanese papers, textures, dried flowers) are all on the table and they are utilized as the painting takes shape.

I prefer to work with music for the first several hours and then I prefer silence.

I will work for as many hours as it takes to complete the first, second and third phase. The first phase is the acrylic phase whereby all the background is painted and the composition is laid out. The second phase is the collage phase, where all the texure, paper etc. is applied to the canvas. The third phase is the oil phase, where the painting is brought to life with detail and the richness of oil application. There are breaks between each phase sometimes for as long as 12 hours (depending on time restrictions or drying time)

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry? 
Besides having a BFA and being a senior graphic designer for 18 years, painting was just the next logical step in the evolution of my creative expression. Design is not just a hobby or a profession, for me, it is an integral part of my life.  Whether I am designing the interior of a space, creating a brochure or painting on canvas, I am doing what it is that I love to do; that being creating something beautiful out of nothing. My paintings have evolved over the years with practice, observation, travel and the experimentation of different media.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
Paper and my computer - in that order.

Earth series

What inspires you to create? 
The desire to try something new, to push the boundries. Everything that I see that is beautiful to me has within it a message of possibility.  Inspiration hits me at the oddest moments when painting and if I cannot go with it at the moment, I need to jot it down for the future. In the world of advertising and design - inspiration is necessary and must come quickly, and after awhile it is something that is second nature. I don’t have to struggle to be inspired - it is always readily available - I just focus on being open to it.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
The only thing that is frustrating while painting is the obstacle of not being able to manifest what I see in my mind and put it into form on canvas.  This is never a problem because there is always a solution - always.  Sometimes it just takes staring at the canvas for awhile until the solution becomes obvious. Sometimes you can’t find a way out of a design challenge, but there is always a way through it.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
Never give up. Figure out what it is that you really want - what do you really want to achieve with your work? think about this in depth. Then do some research - take a look at how other people are doing things - be inspired by those that you admire and pinpoint the unique way in which you see things and how you communicate what you see - and keep moving forward.  Even small steps taken in the right direction are powerful, they lead to the evolution of your own language. Practice your skill, try differen t things. 

Relax and have fun, if you are loving what you are doing it is impossible not to rise in your level of artistry.

Change

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?

My life is divided into 4 major categories 1) Raising my daughter in a conscious way and teaching her to follow her dream 2) Graphic design, as it is my profession 3) Painting, as it is my nature to do what I love 4) Creating and promoting positive parenting techniques that are designed to inspire and uplift through Life Positive By Design, a company that I have created.

What are some of your other favorite things?
I’m loving sweets, perhaps a bit to much! Favorite book - (really hard to choose) The Man Who Listens to Horses, by Monty Roberts - favorite colour - the colour of my dauhter’s eyes when she was 2 weeks old - periwinkle blue.

Artist: Gigi Hoeller
Location: Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia (Sunshine Coast)

Website:
Artistika

My work is described as macro florals; very close images of flowers.

The creative process of my paintings starts off with a thought process. I think of what I want to do for several weeks before I start the actual painting. I visualize how I see the flowers; how I would like the painting to turn out. Depending on my intimate feelings and passion toward the image, it can take from a few days to several months or even years to start the painting. I keep a list of what I want to paint and create; I have multiple images and ideas in my head at a time, and whatever bubbles up first is what ends up being created.

Before I start to paint, I have a feeling that I cannot wait any longer to paint the painting, it becomes a requirement, similar to breathing or eating. Then I work feverishly; set up my table, under painting, and then the bulk of the work in a state of passion.

My website and my business is called Spiritual Expressions – the paintings I paint, and the way I create is an expression of my spirit. This is done in an intuitive manner, I do not plan, I do not do any pre-drawings or sketches, my paintings are all pre-created in my head. I know what I want to create and visualize what I want to see. As the creation process starts, I pick out only a few oil pastel colors and as the painting progresses, I pick the remainder of the paintings on an intuitive basis.

While I create, I have a tendency to have the television on. I justify this by saying that my conscious mind is being slightly occupied, and my sub-conscious mind is the one that is intuitively painting. At times, I paint in silence and sometimes with music on, but since I am a severe multi tasker, I enjoy being occupied on every level. Because of this, often, people look into my macro floral paintings and see subliminal images that I never consciously painted. I believe that people see, in the flowers, what they want to see, or what they need to see. They see images that they can resonate with, within the flowers, that they are emotionally connected with at that point of time in their lives.

In 1987 I received an art scholarship which allowed me to attended Capilano College in North Vancouver in the Studio Art Program. Shortly thereafter, I attended Emily Carr Institute of Art And Design in Vancouver, taking several part time courses while working full time and part time. I always knew I needed to be an artist, unfortunately it was not encouraged – thus business took over. In 1999, I felt as though my soul was being sucked dry by business, I quit my job, packed up my house and travelled for fourteen months. When I returned from finding myself, I decided not to work again, opened a bed and breakfast and started painting full time.

My inspiration comes from absolutely everything; throughout my travels I find amazing amounts of inspiration, in cultures other than my own, in the simple every day things in life, from buildings to alleys, to gardens. Because of so much inspiration and so many ideas, I never find my work to get frustrating or tough. I have noticed; however, that when I have anxiety or stress in my life, I have a tendency to create other types of work. If I feel that a painting is not going the direction it “should” I struggle to finish it, but I always finish the work. It is difficult for me to start something new unless I have finished the previous piece.

Other than painting and creating, I rescue abused and unwanted dogs, so my work happens sporadically. If I get the chance to work 2 hours straight it’s a blessing. In the evenings (when all the animals are asleep), I work hours and hours straight, forgetting about regular things like eating and sleeping. Passion takes over in every level of my life; with the animals and with my artwork.

My best piece of advice for artists is to follow your passion, if you follow your passion, the money will come.

Artist: Sausen Mustafova
Location: Frettecuisse, France

Websites:
Artistika
Sausen Mustafova

Sausen, how do you describe your work?
Although it has different themes or topics, my work finally talks about one and single thing: the human being. Whatsoever I paint figures, faces, trees, or houses, they are all different declensions of the same thing: here we are on earth, in our minds as well as in our houses; we are looking for being deep-rooted somewhere, just like trees. Sometimes, my work becomes more abstract, or let us say non-representational. In such a case, it’s only a detail of something: a detail from a bark of a tree, from the soil or from a skin. I give a great importance to matter. There is often a thickness of paint which creates relief and which, through being worked, scraped, grooved, and superimposed, also creates transparency effects.

What is your creative process like?
Starting to work is, first of all, finding the means to disconnect myself from the immediate and daily world. Music helps me for that. I’m working with music and generally I listen to the same track in a loop. It creates a rhythm, rather obsessional certainly, but which helps me to find concentration and to be able to listen to my emerging sensations. Just for that, thanks to the “Program” and “Repeat” functions available on to-day’s CD player! I walk around in the studio, I look around, I put things away or tidy, and when the moment comes, it turns to be very physical: I work on the ground, I turn around the canvas or the paper, I kneel, in postures which are always at the limit of unbalance; it’s a bit like a dance. I throw pigment on the canvas and I directly mix it with linen oil, using my fingers or sometimes a knife. I also use ready-made paint in tube. Everything goes quickly, instinctively, spontaneously, intensively. I cannot work hours long. After a one or two hour long working session, I feel sometimes empty, exhausted. This is true as far as painting is concerned, but when I’m using other techniques like engraving, or when I create artist books, things are slightly different, more thoughtful, and working sessions may then be much longer.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I studied philosophy which always prompted me to wonder about the meaning of the things I was undertaking, and about the mean to get to know what one expects from his own existence, the way one wants to live and how one can succeed in giving a meaning to our existence. After that, I started to teach philosophy and, two years later, I decided I would be a painter. I bought pastels, sheets of paper and that’s how things started, fifteen years ago.

This decision kept on being confirmed all the years long, and painting has become a necessity. I never considered it as leisure, nor a spare-time activity, but as something which forced itself upon me. I had to work and, above all, believe in it.

One always says that confidence or balance is something you must feel inside of you. Once, I had the opportunity to take part in a course of tightrope walking. When I was a child, I was always dreaming of being part of a circus. Then, I had an actual opportunity to understand what balance really meant. Walking on a one centimetre diameter rope has been an extraordinary experience. It transformed me at once, and at this time, I definitely felt the balance: I only had to look forward, far in front of me, to look at the horizon, and then, I could go forward. I think this experience has been very important for me, and, even though I do not walk on tight rope any more, I often think about it, particularly when things are not going well and I sometimes make these precise steps again, on the ground, looking straight in front of me to remind me this feeling.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
It’s difficult to say. I tend to work with a minimum of materials and tools, and I deeply believe in the virtue of the constraint. I think that when things you are got used to, are missing, creativity may have a new impetus. The knife is the tool I use the most. Maybe I would be interested in it to disappear, to see what I’ll be able to invent to replace it.

What inspires you to create?
Light. Colours in nature.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
To tell myself that the object of painting is painting itself, that work feeds itself, that we must stop looking elsewhere for illusory life-buoys, that one must sometimes accept failure for something better to happen later on. Accepting this means that whatever happens, one can, one must set to work again and again, and just like for the first time, without respite, with the tenacity of life which resists to everything. Therefore, nothing inspires me in these difficult moments, but I think that these moments must be accepted as part of the work of a painter. And moreover, it’s not by not doing anything that these moments will not occur any longer.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
If, for someone, the fact of painting is a necessity, he or she will then find in himself or herself the required resources. The most difficult is to learn how to resist to the outer world, to disturbing things which may often be used as an excuse not to resist and to give up. But, I think we never stop learning or experimenting all that.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
I keep on giving some hours of course of philosophy to adolescents in a lycée. At home, I take time to make and bake bread and cakes for the pleasure of my family.

What’s your favorite comfort food?
I like all kind of cakes. At home, my activities are rather frantic: for a while, I will do a lot of cooking and make many cakes, and even sometimes several a day. And then it goes by, and I will start to sew and I will make five dresses in a row, And so on.